Readings: Wisdom 12:13,16-19; Romans 8:26-27; Matthew 13:24-30
The Bastard Wheat
1. There is a parable told about Good and Evil. One day, Good and Evil met upon the shore of the sea. They said to each other, “Let us disrobe and bathe in the sea.” After they bathed in the sea for some time, Evil came to the shore and clothed itself with the garment of Good and walked away. Later Good too came out of the shore and found that its clothes had been taken away by Evil. Feeling ashamed to go naked, Good garmented itself with the clothes of Evil. To this day, both Good and Evil walk around in their disguise clothes. Only some who know the face of Good and Evil are able to identify their true nature in spite of the garments.
2. In today’s readings we are confronted with the problem of evil in the world. We are not in doubt of its presence. We see it every day. We read about it, not just in history books, but witness it in our streets, at home, in church, in our neighborhood and in the nations of the world. How do we explain the manifestation of evil all around us? A young man went into the grocery store and spat into bottles of ice-tea and laughed about it. A young woman spits on food items in another grocery store, licked butter, scoops ice-cream into her mouth; and others commit many other atrocities that abound in social media. What about the man who put fire on a dog’s tail and delights in the pains inflicted on it. Or those who tale tales of lies about their neighbors; or shooting and killing human beings just for the fun of it. Or taking the lives of unborn children in the womb; setting a house on fire and watching with glee as the occupants suffocate and die; or intentionally manipulating figures to look good after mismanagement and misappropriation of funds. We sometimes feel like Bob Marley and the Wailers, who in 1973 sang, “Stop that train, I’m leaving.” No wonder, the rich want to get out of the world and move to Mars. It makes us question the effectiveness of the Gospel and the labors of missionaries and religious leaders, the world over. Has Christianity failed? G.K. Chesterton would say, no, Christianity hasn’t failed, it just has never been tried. For if enough people lived the Gospel message in its fullness, the difference would be clear for all to see.
3. The parable of the weed and the wheat in today’s Gospel reminds us of the need for saints and sinners to coexist in the world. After all, both saints and sinners were created by God, out of love. The weed or darnel was so indistinguishable from wheat at the early stage of its growth that it was called bastard wheat. One may uproot the wheat in an attempt to uproot the weed, hence, the farmer must wait patiently till harvest time. The wheat and the weed must be allowed to grow together till the end. According to the first reading from the book of Wisdom, “You (God) taught your people, by these deeds, that those who are just must be kind; and you gave your children good ground for hope that you would permit repentance for their sins.” No matter how bad the world may be, there is still hope for those who have faith. And so, St. Paul, in the second reading, enjoins us to ask the spirit for assistance in prayers. We are weak, on our own we can do nothing good. Hence, “The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. And the one who searches hearts knows, what is the intention of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s will.”
4. Today’s readings teach us that there is hostile power in the world competing with the power to do good. The power of evil always seeks to destroy the good in us. We must know that evil can disguise and fool us like the (darnel) weed and the wheat. They looked exactly alike in its shape and size. There was only a slight color variation. But when eaten the darnel was poisonous. This can make us mistake evil for good. Therefore, St. Paul said, “For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want.” (Rom. 7:19). But trusting in the mercy of God, Paul overcame his weaknesses. Therefore, we must be on our guard, so that evil may not overpower us. We are also reminded that it is not always easy to distinguish those who wish us good from those who seek to destroy us. It’s not written on our faces the intentions of our hearts.
5. This is why we should be on our guard. When the servants, in the parable asked the Master, ‘Did you not sow good seed in your field?’ Where have the weeds come from?” He answered, ‘An enemy had done this.’” Who is your enemy, who is ready to plant bad seed in your farm? They are those who laugh with and eat with you, and who you confide in, but they will tell your business to the whole world. They will block your promotion and make up stories about you. They are your trusted friends who tell you how much they care for you. But they are just waiting for you to fall asleep, so that they will plant weed among your wheat. Their intention is to destroy you. They will come to you in sheep clothing but inside are ravenous wolves. Why do they hate you? Because they are jealous of your achievements, your children and everything you are and own. They come to you as friends, just to have easy access to your life and thereby know just where to hit and destroy you. They are in Church, in your office and in your neighborhood. Beware of them! Someone may appear to be good but in fact is a devil-incarnate; and those you think are evil may indeed be good.
6. This parable also teaches us that judgement belongs to God and yet he is slow to anger but rich in mercy. According to the first reading, “But though you are master of might, you judge with clemency, and with much lenience you govern us; for power, whenever you will, attends you.” At the end, evil will be overcome. For there is a seed of destruction in every demon. It has a day of reckoning and will sooner than later destroy itself. On the day of judgment, a day of harvest, it will be gathered and burnt. It doesn’t matter how long evil will triumph in the world, one day it will meet its end, and the children of light will shine like the stars of heaven. So, this parable warns us against judging people. Therefore, it is wrong to be quick in judging and condemning people without knowing the fact about them. We should not judge someone by one single act or stage in life. People must be given the benefits of the doubt. Judgment cannot come until the end of our lives. At the end the judgement of God will come on all sinners. Hence, swift and jungle justice are not the solution for a composite being like man. Man can have a change of mind and heart at any time. All judgments must be left in God’s domain, for if you O Lord should mark our guilt, Lord who can stand. Let us pray at this Mass that the Holy Spirit may aid us as we pursue a life of holiness and justice and recognize the hidden enemies of our lives. Amen.
Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP.
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